Fighting the battle on our knees

Shea Rowell
Class of 2019

(6/2019) News of the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944 arrived in the U.S. around 3 a.m., bringing the nation to its knees in prayer. Newspapers and radio broadcasts struggled to keep the public informed of the latest information as America’s sons stormed the beaches of Normandy, France. According to an article by Natasha Geiling in Smithsonian Magazine, the churches and synagogues were packed across the nation, as Americans joined in prayer for the safety of their soldiers, and for victory in the European campaign. President Roosevelt himself urged Americans to "devote themselves in a continuance of prayer" in his radio address that day. The Library of Congress’s collection contains pictures of masses and prayer services throughout the nation, including a rally held in Madison Square. The whole nation, it seems, brought the invasion to God in prayer.

In the film representation of the Normandy invasion on D-Day, "The Longest Day," military officers on both sides of the conflict asked, "I wonder whose side God is on?" From an American perspective, it is nearly incomprehensible that God would be on the side of the Germans. How could God condone the horrors of the Holocaust and the eugenic fascist ideologies, the anger that drove the Germans’ aggression, and the oppression of dictators like Hitler and Mussolini against their own people? The frightening reality, however, is that the German leaders, officers, soldiers, and civilians were frequently – although not always – convinced that their agenda was morally right, or at least justified. God, many thought, was on their side.

If God has a side, what is it? While it is too simple to assert that God is on one side or another of an international conflict, God always has a side: the side of truth, justice, and love. Even a secular state should be aware of the moral implications of its actions. It is never easy to determine what is morally right, especially when self-interest clouds our judgment and circumstance limits our freedom. But the history of WWII should warn us that even those who think they are on God’s side may sometimes be deceived. No nation or individual is immune to the risk.

While America should never consider herself to be above the influence of deception and self -interest, there is value in celebrating the victories she has enjoyed on behalf of justice. The victory on D-Day is one such occasion for celebration. It was a major turning point for the war in Europe and offered a great boost in morale to the war-wearied Allies, especially France and the UK, whose wounds would take decades to heal. The American ideal as the defender of justice and liberty, while risky at times to maintain, is vital to the American identity. We should hang on to that ideal tightly, as it gives us a goal to aim for and a value system to guide our actions and hold us accountable for our mistakes.

The World Wars established America firmly as a world superpower. This has given our nation an immense responsibility in the world, as our power, for good or ill, has the potential to create deep and lasting consequences for the lives of others around the world. As a result, her duty is to govern herself with justice and consistency, and to regard the other nations with a spirit of peace and service.

But the mythical "America" can do nothing on her own. The great nation is, however, comprised of millions of individuals who share the duty of their nation. We, as Americans, are responsible for the state of our nation and our fellow citizens living within it. While my grandmother was only three years old on D-Day, she does remember the war and its impact on her family. She remembers pulling the shades down in her home to hide from potential bomb threats, and planning to escape to the nearest bomb shelter if need be. She also remembers the war’s final ending in 1945, and the joy that drove Americans to the streets to dance and celebrate together. The war touched every American in some way. Women took to the work force for the first time in factories, families rationed their food, electricity and fuel, and young men were drafted and sent overseas to fight. Their lives, the lives of their family members, and the structure of their communities was at stake; everyone was involved. While these circumstances were dire and the violence horrifying, the sense of patriotism and duty in the culture at the time was evident. The nation was theirs to protect, theirs to support, theirs to nurture.

While our culture has improved in many ways, my generation has much to learn from the WWII generation. I do not wish for a war, a tragedy, or an enemy to unite us, but I do wish for unity and love for our country. I wish for citizens who vote and run for office at the local, state, and federal levels. I wish for helping hands ready to volunteer in community service and artistic celebrations of our national identity. I wish for a renewed sense of pride in being American, not because it is the best nation in the world, or because it is perfect, but because it is our home. I wish for faith in the ideals that form the American identity: the world exemplar of liberty and goodness – even if we have failed and will continue to fail to meet our ideals.

In short, I have hope in an America that falls to its knees before God when she encounters struggle, like American citizens at home did during the D-Day invasion. I hope for an America who judges her actions against high moral standards of goodness and asks, like the officers in the film, "Whose side is God on?" Finally, I hope for an America who knows her history, feels pride in how far she has come, and never stops trying to meet the ideals that make America beautiful.

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